George Osborne blasted for stance on Air Passenger Duty

George Osborne has been accused of turning air travel into the ‘preserve of the rich’ due to his stance on Air Passenger Duty.

The statement came from Graham Brady, the chairman of the Conservative backbench 1922, who blasted the chancellor for making this mode of transportation inaccessible to all but the well-off.

The Chancellor has been accused of making air travel ‘the preserve of the rich’

‘It isn’t a luxury in the modern world. Air travel, whether it be for business or for leisure, is an essential part of modern life. It’s opened up the world, it’s opened people’s minds, it has enhanced the quality of life for all of us,’ he said, according to the Daily Telegraph.

APD, a tax applied to flight prices, rose by a significant eight per cent in April 2012.

Fellow Tory backbencher Priti Patel also urged the chancellor to re-evaluate the impact of APD and warned that the tax could have a detrimental effect on the UK’s global competitiveness.

‘We are competing in a global environment that is tougher and more competitive than ever before,’ she said.

‘Foreign businesses which can bring in much-needed investment into our economy can now relocate to other countries.’

Earlier this month, bosses from Edinburgh Airport, Glasgow Airport and Aberdeen added their voices to the debate, stating that APD is costing the country millions of pounds by damaging its tourism industry.